Cyclist calls for dangerous Royston crossing to be upgraded as soon as possible

A Royston resident says he is desperate to cycle to work, but the existing path from the A505/A10 roundabout to Melbourn is almost “unusable”.

Paul Sanders, a dentist at Melbourn Dental Practice, says pressure must be put on Hertfordshire County Council to make improvements as soon as possible, including a safe crossing over the busy A505.

An upgrade to the off-road cycleway which runs alongside the A10 from Frog End, Shepreth, to Foxton Bottom, in South Cambridgeshire, is now complete, following a cash injection from the Government’s Cycle City Ambition Fund – which aims to encourage commuters to use their bikes by making the route safer.

However Matt Scales, from The A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign, said: “For people living in or trying to access Royston, these improvements seem to be highlighting the ongoing hazard of crossing the A505 at the A10 junction.

“The only thing that seems to be missing for Royston residents is a safe passage across the A505. The campaign has made clear inroads into the development of the cycle way adjacent to the main road.”

Paul Sanders, says he would like to cycle to work, but safety issues have been a constant obstacle.

He said: “I have found the path from the A505/A10 roundabout to Melbourn to be almost unusable and I would greatly appreciate its modernisation. Cycling in Royston has benefited from some cycle paths but the major stumbling block is crossing the four busy lanes of the A505.”

To make his commute safer, Mr Sanders came up with a daily savings plan.

He added: “Every day I cycled to work I put £10 in a jar, roughly equivalent to the motoring costs saved. As the weeks of late summer and early autumn went by, I managed to save £250 and spent it on improved cycle clothing, lights and servicing my old bicycle. I sincerely look forward to a safer journey to work by bike in 2014 and beyond.”

The A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign has benefited from support from Cambridgeshire County Council and hopes to see a completely rejuvenated pathway alongside the A10.

Susan van de Ven, chairman of the campaign, said: “This is a great example of what the 2011 census data is telling us - that a significant number of people already cycle to work along this short but dangerous stretch, and that many more would do so if conditions were safe.”

Mr Scales added: “What we really need to happen as residents of Hertfordshire, is our council coming forward to take the lead in implementing a plan to make crossing the fast and dangerous A505 a simple and safe exercise.”

The next meeting of the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign takes place on April 2, from 7.30-9pm, at the Melbourn Hub in the High Street.